How did you make the decision for Pred and chemo?

[iPappy]

Update:
Took Feeby to 'new' primary vet for a mini-exam visit. She did speak with the MIA oncologist last week, but not much of what was discussed was shared with me. It must not have been good because the primary vet gave me a referral to another oncologist, so we are probably starting over again. She believes that Pred and chemo should be done concurrently, and she does not deal with chemo at all, so all of this is on hold until I can get an appt. with the 'new' oncologist.

I still don't have the reports I think I should have from the PARR assay done on Feeby's lymph nodes, but perhaps whatever is going on with that will come to light with a new oncologist getting involved. I have also reached out to Customer Relations for the specialty group that employs this MIA oncologist, but since they are located in the Tampa, I am not sure when I will hear from them given the damage from Hurricane Ian. I told them about the lack of communication as well as the suspected missing report results.

In the meantime, since nothing is being done about the lymphoma, I went ahead and had Feeby receive an injection of Solensia in case her self-isolation and lethargy have something to do with her arthritis. I am not happy about doing it since this pain med is so new and there aren't any studies about its use on CKD cats. But as the primary vet pointed out - given Feeby's age and illnesses - quality of life, not quantity, is what should be considered most important for Feeby now.

I agree with your vet on the last paragraph. I think I was going that way with Tag, trying to increase his life span. His QOL was good until the end, and we focused on that too, but I think I would have done some additional things if I had accepted that he wasn't going to be cured.
I'm sorry you and Feeby are going through all this. You are so dedicated to her in the face of a scary diagnosis, and it shows.

 

[Margot Lane]

Also agree with vet…as my cat ages, I wake up every day and try -objectively- to ask myself: “How is his quality of life?“ And it is always so hard to tell with cats, isn’t it, sometimes? They do not like giving the game away. I can tell you are doing everything you can here. It sounds as if your vet is a caring one. I imagine you will feel well relieved when SOME medical decision is made about the lymphoma, however. To answer your title’s question, I went with pred and chemo b/c frankly my vet seemed to have seen and valiantly struggled so much w/ IBS & cancer in cats, that I really trusted her…we have done very well: every day is cherished, and he does not seem to be in pain. Poops well, naps well: he’s in remission…and is just old. But there are many threads on this topic, and many choices made— I think for every cat and cat owner, the decision has to be comfortable for both, as it is something you both go through together.